Seed-potato cutter and grader



c. M. KNUTSON.

' SEED POTATO CUTTER AND GRADER..

APPLICATION FILED 0150.6, 1921.

1,438,922. Patented Dec.1 2,1922.

2 SHEETSS.HEET 1..

I UEM, Hnuiism,

C. M. KNUTSON.

SEED POTATO CUTTER AND GRADER.

. APPLICATION FILED 020.6. 192].

Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

En C; M. K711126012 Patented Dec, 12, 1922.

GHRISM. K N U 'ISON, OF ADAMS, MINNESOTA.

SEED-POTATO CUTTER AND (manna. y,

Application filed December 6, 1921. Serial No. 520,326.

To all whom it may GOHCW/b.

Be it known that T, CHRIs M. KNUTsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Adams, in the county of Mower and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seed-Potato Cutters and Graders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, compact, and efiicient seed potato grading and cutting machine into which the potatoes of all sizes may be deposited and whereby the potatoes are separated and graded according to sizes, eliminating or discharging those which are below certain prescribed size and sorting the others and conducting them respectively to cutting or slicing means whereby they are reduced to the proper condition for planting,'-the apparatus being such as to be adapted, according to the size and capacity thereof, to be operated either manually or by power from a motor.

/Vith these and other objects in view will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in cc"- tain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinaftermorefully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my inventiton, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top plan iew illustrating a seed potato grading and cutting machine constructed in accordance with myamvention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in section illustrating the same, t

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the device, 1

Figure 4 is a plan View, illustratingthe knives, i

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional View illustrating the same, a

Figure 6 is a plan view illustrating the knives with the guards removed,

Figure 7' is a fragmentary transverse sectional view, illustrating the conveyor for the cut or severed potatoes.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a supporting frame carrying at its upper end a grading mechahoppers 6 and are 1 extending arms Zines. The arms nism 2, that includes primary and secondary gradlng screens 3 and 4 that are pivotally and shdably connected to standards 5 on the frame 1, and said screens are arranged on inclined planes so that the potatoes will roll off of the screens into hoppers 6.

The primary screen is adapted to direct the large size of potatoes into one of the hoppers 6 while the onto the secondary screen and the medium size potatoes are directed into the other hopper 6 while the small size potatoes fall through the secondary screen into a chute or trough 7 and are the machine and into a suitable receptacle if desired. The primary screen 3 is provided with a deflecting plate 8 for directing the large size potatoes into the respective hopper while the secondary screen 4 is provided with a deflecting plate 9 to direct the intermediate size potatoes into the re.- spective hopper 6. The hoppers 6, are constructed from canvas or similar material and have their upper ends supported byframes 10 carried by the support 1 so that the discharge ends of the screens 3 and 4; will be disposed over the upper ends of the hoppers and the hoppers taper towards their lower ends and 11, carried by the frame 1 under the grading mechanism. A. main hopper 12 is provided for directing the potatoes onto the primary screen 3.

The magazines 11 have concaves 13 pivoted thereto as shown at 14 while the other ends of said concaves are associated with. the yieldably supported by tension means 15. Pickers 15 are rotatably mounted in the magazines 11 caves 13 are adapted to yield to permit the pickers-to impale potatoes when in the vicinity of the discharge ends of the hoppers 6, The pickers 15 are in the form of radially ends to hubs 17 secured to a rotatable shaft 18 journaled to the frame 1 and the magaadjacent to their outer ends carryimpaling pins 19 and adapted to pick up thepotatoes from the magazines and 105 carry them to chutes 20 carried by the frame 1. Ejectingheads 21 are pivoted to the outer ends of thearms 16 and are adapted to engage a trip or stop 22 carried by the frame 1 during the rotation of the arms for the 110 purpose of removing the potatoes from the impaling pins when the latter reach a point smaller potatoes fall 65 deposited to one side of 70 are received by magazines 85 and the 0011- 16 secured at their inner laterally disposed as illustrated a a too, rapid movement or engage the hoppers 6 for adjacent to the troughs 20 so that the potatoes will slide down the trough into a cut-- ting mechanism 23.

A supporting rod 24cis carried by the frame 1 to which is pivoted gates 24* that the purpose of agitating the potatoes in said hoppers and the plates are rocked upon their pivots by rods 25 that receive reciprocatory motion by being connected to cams or eccentrics 26 secured to the shaft 18. The upper ends of the rods 25 have pin and slot connections to arms 27 that are pivoted to the gates 2a and also connected to tension springs 28. The arms 27 are provided with adjusting screws 29 that bear against the gates for the purpose of regulating the throw of the gates. The lower ends of the gates are 250 for the purpose of controlling the movement of the potatoes out of the hoppers 6 into the magazines and said ends are provided with gravity actuated members 81 that prevent delivery of the potatoes from the hoppers 6 to the magazines.

' It is to be noted that the gates 2 1 are alternatingly actuated by the cams or eccentrics on the shaft 18 and also that the pickers are. alternatingly arranged so that they will impale or pick up the potatoes as they are discharged from the hoppers 6 into the magazines 11. The shaft 18 is rotated by a shaft 32 which receives its rotation from a shaft 33 and the latter is rotated by a shaft 34 journaled to brackets 35. A power shaft 36 is also journaled to the brackets 35 and may be rotated by a power source or manually if desired and is provided with a gear 37 that meshes with a gear wheel 38 securedto the shaft 341. A similar gear 39 is secured to the shaft 3 1 and the gears 38 and 39 are adapted for actuatingthe cutting mechanism.

The cutting mechanism 23 consists of a frame-. 10 divided into compartments 11 and 12 by partitions 43 and the compartment :1 has knife blades 14: arranged therein for the purpose of cutting a potato into quarters and the compartment 41 is. adaptedto receivefthe intermediate size of potatoes from the respective chute 20. while the compa'rtment 42 has knife blades as arranged to cut thelarge size potatoes into sixths. The frame i0 yieldably supports guides 46 thatreceive the potatoes from the chutes 2O and-position them properly over the knife blades. Thepotatoes are forced. through the guides and knife blades by reciprocating plungers 17 that have their potato engaging faces recessed to receive the knife blades when said plungers reach the end of their working stroke so that the knife blades will entirely pass through the potatoes and consequently bring about a complete severing of the potatoes. The plungers 4:7 are pivotally connected to walking beams 48' which are pivoted to links 49 and the latter are pivoted to the gear wheels 38 and 39. The links 19 are so connected to said gear wheels 38 and 39 that the plungers are alternatingly actuated, or in other words, one of its working stroke, while the plungers is on on its non-workmg the other plunger is stroke. The plimgers are guided in their vertical movement by links 50, to [insure the plungers properly engaging thepotatoes when starting on their working strokes.

The severed potatoes fall from the knives onto an endless conveyor 50 arranged transversely of the machine and is adapted to convey the seed or severed potatoes to a point atone side of the machine for collection in a suitable receptacle. The conveyor 50 is driven by a sprocket chain 51whi'ch receives its power from the shaft 38.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, it should be apparent that this device is capable of grading the potatoes into the desired sizes and to deliver the different sized potatoes at proper intervals to cutting mechanisms which sever the potatoes into the proper sizesready for planting. It is also to'be noted that the potatoes when delivered from the cutting mechanism are caught and conveyed to one side of the machine so that they may be caught in areceptacle or receptacles and be transported manually or otherwise for planting. y i

.i. rod 53 is connected to the primary and secondary screens and to a crank 54-. of the shaft 18 for the purpose of imparting to said screens the necessary vibration. to cause the potatoes of a certain size to roll off of the screens and the smaller potatoes to pass through said screens.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that construction, combination and arrangement of parts m'ay be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention what 1 claim is y Y 1. A device of the class described comprising primary and secondary screens adapted to grade potatoes into different sizes, means for vibrating said screens, means delivering potatoes to .one of said screens, hoppers receiving the graded ipotatoes from the screens, magazines associated with said hoppers, means controlling the m vement of the potatoes from the hoppers to the magazines, cutters means delivering potatoes one a time from the magazines to the cutters.

2. A device of the character set forth comdownward or minor changes in y prising grading screens, a discharge chute receiving potatoes from oneof said screens, hoppers receiving potatoes of different sizes from said screens, magazines associated with said hoppers, means controlling the move ment of the potatoes from the hoppers to the magazines, rotary conveyors receiving potatoes from the magazines, and cutters receiving the potatoes from the conveyors.

3. A device of the character set forth comprising a grading mechanism, potato cutters, hoppers receiving the graded potatoes from the grading mechanism, magazines associated with said hoppers, means controlling the potatoes from the hoppers to the magazines and agitating the potatoes within the hoppers, and rotating pickers receiving potatoes from the magazines and delivering them to the cutters.

4. A device of the character set forth comprising a grading mechanism, hoppers as sociated with said grading mechanism, magazines associated with said hoppers, cutters, sets of picker arms rotatably mounted in the magazines, unpaling pins carried by said picker arms and adapted to receive potatoes from the magazines, means controlling the potatoes from the hopper to the magazines, and chutes receiving the potatoes from the impaling pins and delivering them to the cutters.

5. A device of the character set forth comprising a grading mechanism, hoppers associated with said grading mechanism, a yieldingly mounted magazine associated with each of said hoppers, gates for controlling the potatoes from the hoppers to the respective magazines, cutters, and means to feed the potatoes one at a time from said magazines to said cutters.

6. A device of the character set forth comprising a grading mechanism, hoppers associated with said grading mechanism, a yieldingly mounted magazine associated with each of said hoppers, gates for controlling the potatoes from the hoppers to the respective magazines, said gates operating alternately, cutters, and means at ternately feeding the potatoes from said magazines to said cutters one at a time.

7. A device of the character set forth comprising a grading mechanism, hoppers associated with said grading mechanism, a yieldingly mounted magazine associated with each of said hoppers, gates for controlling the potatoes from the hoppers to the respective magazines, cutters, means to feed the potatoes one at a time from said magazine to said cutters, and means adaptable to vary the throw of said gates.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHRIS M. KNUTSON.

Witnesses:

J. F. TILLMAN, N. O. ToRoEnsoN. 

